Those of you who read the website last week will be aware that the result of the Barber Cup 2019, was to be determined by an Arbitration Committee after an appeal against the ordering of pairs in the final. I am very grateful to all those who took part in this process.

I asked Gareth Hoskins to chair this committee. He in turn invited James Toop and Laurie Brock to sit with him on the panel, both of whom enjoy considerable experience of playing at the highest levels. Richard Black, President of the EFA, and Mark Williams, Chairman of the competitions sub-committee, were also at the meeting, purely as observers, to ensure that the correct protocol was followed.

I should also like to thank the captains and managers of both the Old Salopians and the Old Harrovians who put in detailed and clear submissions, justifying their pairings and the reasons for an appeal respectively.

After some consideration by the committee, it was decided that the match should be awarded to the Old Harrovians, thus giving them their first victory in this competition. We congratulate them but also commiserate with the Old Salopians who have been deemed runners up, in what are clearly disappointing circumstances. I should make it clear that the decision of the panel does not imply that the Salopians' selection of their pairings was made in anything but good faith or that they deliberately set out to gain an unfair advantage, and thus no conclusions from the decision should be inferred by anyone on this point.

I am sure that between them, both teams are looking forward to further encounters in this competition.

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